February, 2021

Coming in February & MARCHFebruary 2 Groundhog Day

February 14 Valentine’s Day

February 15 Presidents’ Day

March 14 Daylight Savings Start

March 17 St. Patrick’s Day

Hi, my name is Brian Staab. For the past 40 years my wife, Tonya, and I have lived and farmed eight miles northwest of Hays. Tonya

and our oldest daughter, Brianne, own and operate Re�ne clothing store in downtown Hays. Brianne and her husband, Ryan Sultzer, also operate Smokin Co BBQ, which does competition BBQ and catering. Our other daughter, Tasha, is a Special Education teacher at Roosevelt Elementary School and her husband,

BRIAN STAAB

KELLY MUIRHello! My name is Kelly Muir, I am a 5th generation farmer and rancher from Stockton, Kansas. My wife Anna and l

live 5 miles north for Stockton on my family’s original homestead land, where we have lived since 2004. My wife is the District Director of the Rooks/Phillips Extension District as well as the 4-H and Family and Consumer Science agent for Rooks county.

I have farmed with my family for the past 20 years, the last 14 years being full time on the farm working with my father Royce and my uncle Verl. Our operation consists of a large cow calf herd as well

MIDLAND MARKETING BOARD NOMINEES

as a small feeding operation that my dad and I manage. We raise Wheat, Corn, Soybeans and Milo as well as Alfalfa. Prior to returning to the farm, I worked as a service technician for John Deere for 11 years. This experience comes in very helpful on the farm.

Over the last several years I have been involved in many local organizations around the area. Including Rooks County Farm Bureau, Rooks County KLA, and The Rooks County Free Fair Board. I feel it is important to be involved in organizations that relate to agriculture and our business.

The face of agriculture has changed a lot over the last few decades and will continue to evolve in the future. I feel Midland Marketing has been at the leading edge in bringing new products

Kevin Lang, works for LDI as their Strategic Marketing Administrator. They have all blessed us with 5 wonderful grandchildren.

My brother Tim, his sons, Nathan and Connor, and I presently operate the family farm. Our operation consists of wheat, milo, corn, barley and the forage needs for our livestock. The cow-herd operates under VJS Polled Herefords. We sell registered bulls and replacement heifers thru private treaty. We are members and TPR Breeders of the American Hereford Association, the Kansas Hereford Association.

Our organization has grown over the past

few years with new facilities on several locations, these projects would not be possible without the support of our patrons. We have several building projects in progress at the present time and the Midland Marketing Board is continuously looking at area that will ef�ciently serve our customers. I want to thank the members for their past support. I de�nitely enjoyed working with my fellow Directors over the past years, and with your support I would greatly appreciate representing Midland Marketing in our future growth. It has been an honor to be a representative of this organization. Thank You!

and technologies to their customers as well as the experience needed to help make todays dif�cult decisions. I look forward to continuing to work with Midland Marketing and their patrons, and would appreciate your support as member of the Midland Marketing Board Member. Thank You!

Don Steeples graduated as valedictorian from Palco High School in 1963 and he moved back to Palco in 2014, after a 40-year career

at the University of Kansas. With his brother, Dave, he operated a 2100-acre wheat farm in Rooks and Graham counties from 1975 to 2020. His wife, since 1967, Tammy, earned a PhD in Special Education at KU. They have six grandchildren from two married sons who graduated from KU and both received MBA’s in �nance from SMU in Dallas.

LES ROGERSHi, I’m Les Rogers. I live northeast of McCracken, along with my wife Sheryl. I was raised on the farm and have farmed

and raised cattle all of my life.

DON STEEPLESDon is emeritus McGee Distinguished Professor of Geophysics and served as both Senior Vice Provost and as Interim Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at KU. Don earned a BS in geophysics (1969) and an MS in geology (1970) from K-State where he was a member of both the varsity football and varsity track teams. After two years as a lieutenant in the US Army at Ft. Wainwright, Alaska from 1970-72, he received an MS (1974) and PhD (1975) in geophysics from Stanford University. He was at the Kansas Geological Survey (a Research Division of KU) from 1975 until 1992, serving in various positions including Deputy Director.

I was partners on the farm, with my parents for 30 years. Now I have the pleasure of having my son, Chase, as a full partner for the last �ve years. Chase and his wife, Carin have a 4 year old son. Who knows, maybe another partner in the future.

Our daughter, Kelsee is married and has two daughters. She lives in Hays and is

Since 1977, he has specialized in shallow seismic imaging, an area in which he has practical experience in more than 20 states and in several other countries. He is best known for research using seismic methods to detect clandestine tunnels beneath international borders and other security-sensitive locations. From 1980 to 2015, he was President of Great Plains Geophysical, Inc., a consulting �rm that served more than 60 clients. He served the 32,000-member Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) as a Distinguished Lecturer in 2007, receiving 69 speaking invitations from 26 countries. He also served the SEG as President in 2013-14.

RYAN GRIFFINHello, my name is Ryan Grif�n. I am a lifelong farmer and rancher growing up north of Natoma. I have learned about the farming

industry from my parents, Gail and Anita Grif�n. After graduating high school, I attended Fort Hays State where I graduated with an Ag-Business degree.

For the past 21 years my wife, Jana (Weidenhaft) Grif�n, and I have made Rooks county our home. Jana is the Postmaster in Plainville where she has been for the past 5 years, prior to Plainville she was the Postmaster in Damar as well as Palco. We have two children, Shaelyn, who is attending the University of Kansas majoring in Exercise Science and Noah who is an 8th grader at Stockton Junior High. Jana’s brother,

an RN at the Hospital.

We have about 100 cows and we breed and sell around 400 heifers each year. We plant milo, wheat, feed and some corn.

I have been on the board for several years and would appreciate your vote for another term. Thank you.

Dr. Brandon Weidenhaft, started Big Creek Veterinary Services in Hays in 2012 after practicing in the Hays area since 2001.

In our family farming operation, we are mostly no-till which consists of cash crops including wheat, milo, corn, and beans. We also raise cane feed and alfalfa for our cow calf and backgrounding operation.

I served as an associate Director on the Board of Midland Marketing two years before becoming a voting Director. Those 2 years I feel were important in learning what it takes to be a representative of the patrons of Midland Marketing. I learned how the cooperative works and how successful the Directors, General Manager, Employees, and especially the Patrons have made Midland Marketing. In my time as a Director, we have made great strides in speed and capacity in our grain handling

departments. We have also just started projects at Toulon and Brownell. We have added a new chemical location in Hill City and a trucking division to help move grain between locations more ef�ciently. We have also updated equipment to speed up the services that our patrons want and need to help them stay productive and pro�table.

We are in very unstable times right now in this country and world. We as agricultural producers need to continue to hold onto the hard-working family values and our passion to be leaders in quality and production. In my opinion, Agriculture is one of the most honest businesses out there and I believe Midland Marketing represents that at every level!

I would appreciate your vote for Director and will do what I can to continue the success of the cooperative and its patrons. THANK YOU.

Reminder Daylight Saving starts

March 14

The new paraquat and dicamba labels are more restrictive than the restricted use pesticide product labels we’re used to. A signi�cant change is that their use is limited to certi�ed applicators. That is, there is no use of these products (e.g., mixing, loading, application) that may be performed by an individual without a current pesticide applicator certi�cation — even if that individual is supervised by someone with a current pesticide applicator certi�cation. This restriction applies to both commercial and private applications.

The KDA pesticide and fertilizer program has made the following determination. In addition to having all uses performed by a holder of a current Kansas 1A certi�cation, a Kansas pesticide business licensee may have any or all uses performed by a holder of a Kansas private certi�cation when those uses are supervised by an employee having a Kansas 1A commercial certi�cation and working out of the same location as the individual being supervised. Names and certi�cation numbers of both must be on the statement of service if the application was made by the private

PARAQUAT AND DICAMBA INFORMATION

VOLUME STATEMENTSAs in the past, we will be running volume statements for our patrons on a request only basis. If you would like a detailed listing of your 2020 expenses and or income from grain sales, please give us a call.

certi�ed applicator and, because the applicator doesn’t have a Kansas 1A commercial certi�cation, he/she must be listed on the pesticide business license as an uncerti�ed applicator.

Training and Resources Dicamba-speci�c training is required to apply Engenia herbicideBASF: Engenia herbicide training and stewardshipwww.engeniastewardship.com.

Corteva Agriscience: DuPont™ FeXapan® herbicide Plus VaporGrip® Technology training and stewardshiphttps://www.corteva.us/products-and-solutions/crop-protection/fexapan.html

Monsanto: Stewardshiphttp://www.xtendimaxapplicationrequirements.com/Pages/default.aspx

Syngenta: Training and stewardship, Tavium Plus VaporGrip Technology Application & Stewardshiphttp://www.syngenta-us.com/herbicides/tavium-application-stewardship

This information from the KS Department of Agriculture web page.

IS IT TIME TO OVERHAUL YOUR

OIL?We’re with you when it comes to reducing maintenance costs. That’s why we carry Cenex® premium lubricants, uniquely formulated to withstand the intense challenges of today’s high-tech engines.

With over 75 years of proven performance in the �eld, Cenex lubricants have de�nitely stood the test of time. They’ll keep your engines running smoothly and provide superior heavy-duty protection for over-worked equipment. Best of all, when you use Cenex lubricants and Cenex® Ruby Fieldmaster® premium diesel fuel together, you can enroll your equipment in the best warranty protection in all of agriculture – for up to 10 years or 10,000 hours. (Visit cenex.com for proof of many growers that have avoided the expense of major engine overhauls thanks to the Cenex® Total Protection Plan® warranty.)

For your convenience, we also offer bulk delivery of Cenex lubricants. Talk to us today to take advantage of timely delivery of high- performance lubricants and fuels.

USDA came out with the much-anticipated Year-end Supply and Demand Report on Tuesday, January 12,2021, which was a great surprise to end 2020.

The USDA year end Supply & Demand report was the main driver setting new highs in wheat, soybeans and taking corn values to the daily trade limit. What sparked the rally USDA made a sizeable -3.8 bushel/acre cut to U.S. 2020 corn production dropping yields from 175.8 to 172.0, which caught the trade by surprise. U.S. corn stocks were lowered -150 million bushels to 1.552 billion, and stocks-to-use ration was lowered 10%. Global corn production for 2020/21 was forecast down -9.3 million tons. Argentine production was lowered -1.5 MMTs from 49.0 down to 47.5 MMTs. Brazil's production was reduced by -1.0 MMTs from 110.0 down to 109.0 MMTs. Foreign corn ending stocks were lowered by -5.1 MMTs to 283.8 million. Despite the massive bullish move in corn, we can't lose site of the fact the funds are holding more length in the corn market now than when corn peaked at around $8.50/bushel in the summer of 2012.

USDA lowered U.S. soybean yield estimate from 50.7 to 50.3 bushels/acre. Total soybean production was estimated at 4.135 billion bushels, re�ecting a -35 million bushel reduction in total for MN, IA, and KS. On the demand side, soybean crush forecast was raised 5 million bushels to 2.2 billion bushels, suggesting improved export prospects for soybean meal, and lower export forecast from Argentina. U.S. Soybean export forecast was raised 30 million to a record 2.23 billion bushels. Residual use estimates were lowered -13 million bushels. Overall, U.S. ending stocks are estimated at 140 million bushels, re�ecting a -35 million bushel decrease from previous forecast. Argentine soybean production was reduced -2 million tons to 48 million tons. Brazil’s production was unchanged. Bottom line, if world soybean ending stocks really are as tight as the numbers show things could get real interesting moving forward.

USDA increased U.S. wheat feed and residual demand 25 million bushels and had a small increase in higher wheat used for seed. Seed use being slightly higher, indicates more wheat acres planted. Overall, U.S. ending stocks were reduced -26 million

BUCKLE UP FOR THE RIDE!!bushels to 836 million, down -19%. Globally wheat supplies were lowered -1.6 million tons. China’s production was reduced -1.8 million tons. Russia’s wheat production was raised 1.3 million tons to a new record of 85.3 million tons. Argentina’s production was lowered -0.5 million tons to 17.5 million tons, based on updated harvest results to date and this would-be Argentina’s smallest wheat crop in �ve years. I would note that continued high domestic corn prices in China are expected to result in increased wheat feeding, which was forecast 32% higher than last year. Russia’s food problem shows domestic consumption was raised 0.5 million tons to 23.5 million. Russia also announced increase to its wheat export tax expected to lower Russia’s wheat exports when the export tax goes into effect in mid-February. Russia’s exports were lowered 1.0 million tons, while EU and Canada’s exports were each raised 500,000 tons. I would note, that ending world stocks were lowered -3.3 million tons to 313.2 million tons but remains at a record high. U.S. HRWW 2021 acres were forecast at 22.3 million acres vs 21.362 million acres in 2020. The market has been thinking since the �rst of the year China might be a buyer of U.S. feed wheat, but so far China has remained quiet. Overall, USDA wheat supply and Demand report was within trade expectations. Wheat was the benefactor of the bullish corn and soybean USDA year end Supply and Demand Report.

Overall, Tuesdays, January 12, 2021 USDA Year-end Supply and Demand report for Corn and Soybeans fed the Bulls and kept the bear’s quiet. With the USDA report now in the past the market will be keeping a watchful eye on the world weather, and here in the U.S. the �ght for corn and bean acres has begun. If you are still holding any of 2020 crop keep an eye on the markets especially in the feed grains, milo, corn, and soybeans. You will notice that the corn and bean markets are at an inverse. I suggest to not be caught holding corn and milo past mid- April or soybeans past mid-February, especially if basis does not improve.

Inverse – meaning the futures price going out past the nearby futures month has a lower value. If you have any questions, please give one of Midland Marketing grain team a call. We would be glad to assist.